A crisis center is opening today in the Polotsk district

July 9, Vitebsk /Olga Bogacheva - BELTA/. A crisis center is opening today in the Polotsk district, Svetlana Kasyanova, director of the Territorial Center for Social Services for the Population of the Polotsk District, told a BELTA correspondent. The facility has been established at the adaptation and rehabilitation department of the TCCSON and is designed to provide psychological and other assistance to citizens, primarily residents of the district, who find themselves in a state dangerous to their health and life, related to family conflicts, domestic violence, and victims of human trafficking. The crisis center is also largely focused on parents deprived of child custody. "The center has been created in the urban settlement of Farinovo, next to a children's shelter where minors are placed after being removed from their biological families. In order not to lose contact with the children, the mother (parents) will be able to stay at our center for up to ten days. During this time, she will receive the necessary assistance from specialists in overcoming psychophysical problems," said Svetlana Kasyanova, expressing confidence that proximity to the child and the opportunity to communicate with him will positively affect the resolution of the situation. The innovative approach to the TCCSON's work, supported by local authorities, is finding a response among the district's residents. For example, since April, a team of "bees" has been operating here, targeting lonely elderly people. The new social service was introduced by the territorial center for social services for the population of the Polotsk district after studying the need for it and public opinion. The core team includes social workers, medical workers, and a hairdresser. The selection of two more "bees" is based on the wishes of the person the team is visiting – from among members of the local veterans' organization, BRSM activists, the Red Cross, social service employees, etc. If interests and opportunities coincide, any person whom the elderly person wishes to see can become a "bee." Thus, invited guests have already included district police officers, village elders, friends, and relatives from neighboring villages, and clergy. This type of assistance is particularly popular among residents of sparsely populated remote villages. "In total, over three months, our team has already managed to provide emotional support to more than 70 elderly people, whose main desire is to compensate for the lack of communication. The team's visits (4 times a week) are scheduled until September, which indicates the high demand for the service. Taking this into account, the issue of forming a second such team will be decided in the autumn," noted Svetlana Kasyanova. -0-